


i grow alone with the sea

by OceannanotOceania



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Blind Character, Deaf Character, M/M, mermaid!Hakyeon, sailor!Taekwoon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2018-11-12 05:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11154960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OceannanotOceania/pseuds/OceannanotOceania
Summary: Taekwoon had been told numerous tales about the mermaids, yet never did he expect to see one like this.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first real venture into Neo, I hope I've done them justice! I definitely did not mean to write another fic, but this idea came to me one time after seeing posts about sirens. As always, thank you to [Jaioi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaioi) for being my savior.
> 
> Also, at the end of this chapter I have some notes about how I'm portraying hearing and vision impairments for Neo.

Faintly, Taekwoon feels the vibrations from where he sits on the ship. He glances up from the parchment he’s writing on, quickly folding it up and placing it in his pocket before standing up slowly. He moves closer to the mast, placing a hand on the wooden pole before looking around the expanse of ocean.

The scenery is the same as it had been for a few days: the dark blue waves slowly churned, the main source of movement for his cutter being the breeze caught under the two sails. Within the past few hours, Taekwoon could swear that he saw an outcropping of rocks to the northeast, marking his intended destination, a city that would likely not be reached until late in the evening.

The second vibration is more definite to Taekwoon. Taekwoon’s head shoots to his right, eyes squinting when he sees a glint of brown. He moves to bring down the sails, stilling the ship as much as he could before walking over to where he’d felt the vibrations. Taekwoon kneels down, placing his hands on the side of the ship and leaning forward slightly.

From a young age, Taekwoon had been given stories about the creatures of the sea. While he could never hear the dramatics portrayed by the numerous storytellers who wove tales about the Kraken, the Leviathan, all creatures that lurked in the deep, black depths of the ocean, Taekwoon had consumed as many stories as he could, had watched these storytellers so entranced by their exaggerated tales that they would remain oblivious to the shifts in emotion experienced by every onlooker.

Taekwoon knew about mermaids. The tales were mixed, but they all had a similar idea: mermaids were the epitome of beauty, appearances so enchanting that art failed to replicate their beauty. Some believed them to be foul creatures who used their beauty and charm to lure sailors to them, drowning them in the depths of the ocean and claiming the lost souls for themselves; others believed that sighting a mermaid while at sea could be a sign of good luck.

Mermaids had always been described as women, which is why Taekwoon isn’t quite sure of what he’s found. First off, this creature looked male, a fact Taekwoon guesses by his flat chest and the faint bump of an Adam’s apple. The creature had tan skin, though there is a strange gray tint to it, as if someone had left behind graphite dust on a wooden table. Taekwoon moves closer to the side of the ship, being careful as he leans more forward.

“H-Hello?” Taekwoon feels the strain of his vocal chords, aggressively hoping that the word coming out of his mouth actually sounds the way it should. 

The creature’s eyes, a bright blue color glazed over with a white layer, flicker up towards Taekwoon. His lips part, barely moving, Taekwoon picturing a word being uttered but unable to make a connection to what it could be. The sailor holds back a curse, instead biting down on his lip.

“Are you okay?” Taekwoon feels his vocal chords threatening to strain, gulping back the rough feeling in his throat.

The creature seems to be incapable of fully focusing on Taekwoon, eyes at times flickering elsewhere. Taekwoon pauses, picking words carefully in his mind, lips barely parting as he recalls the syllables needed for every word. Tentatively he reaches out to the creature, eventually grabbing the creature’s hand. He jerks when Taekwoon touches his hand, moving away slightly.

“W-wait,” Taekwoon says, letting out a faint breath when he goes off his prepared script. “I want to take you closer to shore, I-I want to help you.” He gulps, feeling out of breath. “Can you nod if you understand me?”

The creature’s lips part, before he nods slowly. Taekwoon flashes a smile.

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” Taekwoon says, speaking slowly, continuously pushing back the roughness caused by uncertainty. “But if you move forward you can feel the side of my ship. Can you grab hold so that I can take you near the shore?”

The creature nods again.

Taekwoon pauses. “Do you need me to grab your hand?”

The creature nods, more hesitant. Taekwoon purses his lips, pausing before reaching out a hand, a bit of fumbling occurring before Taekwoon finally grabs ahold of the creature.

Immediately, something feels wrong. When Taekwoon makes contact with the creature’s skin, it’s like a jolt of something has shot up his arm, Taekwoon picturing a lightning bolt travelling beneath his skin. His eyes flicker down to the creature’s hand, his grip loosening and tightening as he feels something pull him closer to the creature.

Taekwoon shakes his head, grunting faintly before he tugs on the creature, guiding his hand to the side of the ship. The sailor falls back on the floor, hands rubbing against the dark wood. Taekwoon heaves a breath, panting faintly before he looks towards the creature.

“Your hand is on the ship.” Taekwoon says slowly. “Keep a tight grip, I’m about to open the sails so the ship will be moving faster, o-okay?”

Taekwoon moves forward slightly to see the creature again- well, the mermaid. The mermaid nods his head. Taekwoon’s eyes flicker away briefly, lips parting slowly.

“What’s your name?”

The mermaid speaks more clearly this time, lips parting enough that Taekwoon can actually read them.

“Hakyeon. Cha Hakyeon.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So normally I wouldn't post two chapters almost back-to-back but the first one was Way Shorter than I remembered so I figured that it would be ok to post more so soon lmao.
> 
> As always, thank you to [Jaioi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaioi) for being my true savior.

Hakyeon is so, so hungry. There’d been a storm the other day, rough waves churning and pulling him away from the shelter he’d finally established near the shore. His sense of direction had been thrown off, the mermaid unable to figure out where home was, feeling as if he was just spinning in circles in an effort to find home.

His voice stutters over another note. It’s a bad habit of his; Hakyeon is well aware of the effects of his voice on others, can feel temporarily stilled fish brushing against his tail, but he can’t really help it. When his nerves get tense, his stress rises, and he can’t help singing.

The mermaid perks up slightly, voice quieting when he hears a faint churn in the waves, trying to picture what the sound could be. He starts to swim towards the noise, mind whirring-

_ Thud. _ Hakyeon hisses faintly when his head thuds against hard wood. He backs away slightly, hands running through his wet hair as he rubs at a spot on his head. He glances up again, eyes met with a large, brown blur. Hakyeon moves forward slightly, lifting up a hand and knocking at the wood once.

Hakyeon hears movement in front of him, a few moments passing before he hears something shuffling on what is likely a ship.

“Hello?”

Hakyeon squints, looking up towards the word.

“Hello?” Hakyeon replies slowly.

It takes about a minute before there’s a reply.

“Are you okay?”

“I-” Hakyeon’s thought is cut off as he squints, knowing the action would do nothing to bring clarity to the humanoid form in front of him. He reaches out his hand again, slowly running it along the wood of the ship.

Hakyeon doesn’t expect the sudden warmth against his skin, the mermaid jerking away almost immediately. 

“W-Wait!”

The mermaid’s brow furrows.

“I want to take you closer to shore, I-I want to help you.”

Hakyeon’s mouth falls open. Wait, could this person take him back to shelter?

“You’ll take me home?”

The question goes unanswered, Hakyeon instead hearing, “Can you nod if you understand me?”

Oh. Hakyeon blinks, nodding his head once. Could this man hear?

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” The man says. “But if you move forward you can feel the side of my ship. Can you grab hold so that I can take you near the shore?”

Hakyeon nods, hand reaching out, frowning immediately. How far back had he moved, he’d hardly paid attention-

“Do you need me to grab your hand?”

Ah. Hakyeon bites his lip, nodding his head slowly. The mermaid gets no reply, instead hearing cloth running along wood and breath heaving as the man moves on the ship. Hakyeon remains relatively still, keeping his hand held out.

As soon as he feels that warmth against his skin, Hakyeon is filled with regret. He can feel it rising; faintly he hears the voice of instinct whispering in the back of his mind, saying that he should pull this man into the sea, put his lips against the sailor’s to pull out that which makes him human. Hakyeon closes his eyes, muttering under his breath to push away the voice lurking at the back of his mind.

It’s with relief that Hakyeon finally feels his hand touching the wood, a breeze blowing faintly along the top of his hand.

“Your hand is on the ship.” The sailor says. “Keep a tight grip, I’m about to open the sails so the ship will be moving faster, o-okay?”

Hakyeon tilts his head up, focusing on the outline of the man’s face.

“What’s your name?”

The mermaid bites his lip, slowly opening his mouth and speaking more distinctly than before.

“Hakyeon. Cha Hakyeon.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taekwoon and Hakyeon make it to the shore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So?? I honestly feel bad about how short these chapters are but in all honesty it's hard for me to expand more on them, I hope y'all don't feel too deprived of anything. ^^;
> 
> As always, thank you to [Jaioi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaioi) for being my beta.

With the wind picking up slightly, Taekwoon is able to make it to the familiar outcropping of rocks around midnight. The sky is alight, glowing faintly with the stars above him. The sailor’s eyes remain on Hakyeon much of the time, making sure the mermaid hadn't suddenly lost his grip on the wood. Hakyeon starts when Taekwoon pulls into a dock, hopping off the ship to anchor it on one of the poles of the wooden dock. Taekwoon looks around the empty dock before glancing back to Hakyeon.

“Are you hungry?” Taekwoon asks slowly.

Hakyeon’s head darts around, eventually landing on Taekwoon. It’s faint, but with the help of the lantern perched in the ship Taekwoon can see the nod Hakyeon replies with. Taekwoon frowns. What do mermaids eat? Besides, well... sailors.

Taekwoon frowns. There’s not many places that would be open so late. Though, actually... He shrugs. He hadn't heard from the two in a while, he might as well pop in to say hi.

“I’ll be back in a few, okay?”

Hakyeon nods, grip loosening and tightening on the wood of the ship. Taekwoon licks at his lips, nodding his head slowly before walking away from the dock. 

The inn is a couple of blocks away from the dock, relatively empty streets illuminated by candlelit streetlights. The shops around Taekwoon are all dark, lights off, the occasional second floor lit up by home candles.  Above the front door of the inn is a wooden sign reading  _ BAYSIDE INN _ in white paint letters, words worn down from years of exposure to salt-filled moist air. From a window by the front door, Taekwoon can see that the bar on the first floor is still fairly full, though not many people are sat near the bartender. The sailor pauses before opening the door slowly.

Inside the bar, the vibrations bouncing near his head grow louder, faint bustle caused by a number of overlapping conversations. Taekwoon heads straight for the bar, taking a seat near the middle. 

He coughs faintly before saying, “Wonsik.”

The bartender starts, briefly glancing over to Taekwoon. He finishes making the drink he’d been in the middle of, passing it off to a customer before heading over to Taekwoon.

_ Hi Taekwoon. _ The sign language brings relief to Taekwoon’s face, the sailor flashing a smile.

_ You still practice? _

_ Of course. _ Wonsik turns away from Taekwoon, holding up a finger before going to grab another pint glass. 

_ How have you been _ ? Wonsik signs once he’s back from taking the customer’s order.

Taekwoon shrugs.  _ I haven’t done much recently. Just sort of wandering. _

_ Do you still write? _

Taekwoon nods.  _ I’m in the middle of a novel right now. _

Wonsik flashes a smile.  _ You know, I still write songs occasionally. _

_ Really? _

Wonsik nods.  _ Not sure what I’ll do with them, but Hongbin likes singing with me every now and then. _

_ Where is Hongbin by the way? _

Wonsik glances around the bar, squinting his eyes before holding up a hand. He ducks into the back room behind the bar, coming out a few minutes later, a familiar man in tow. Hongbin’s face lights up when he sees Taekwoon, dimples appearing alongside his smile.

_ Hello Taekwoon. _

Taekwoon smiles.  _ I see you’ve been practicing too. _

_ Why wouldn’t I? _ Hongbin glances over to Wonsik, Taekwoon flashing a small smirk.

Right.

_ So what brings you here? _ Hongbin signs.

_ I missed you both. _

Hongbin chuckles, hands instinctively signing as he mumbles to Wonsik, “I wonder who he missed more.”

Wonsik rolls his eyes, hands still as he speaks. “I’m not sure if it matters.”

Taekwoon taps at the table, catching the attention of the couple.  _ I missed you both equally. _

“See?” Hongbin mumbles, Wonsik rolling his eyes again.

_ Do you need a room for the night?  _ Wonsik signs.

Taekwoon nods.  _ If one’s available, yes please. _

_ Of course. _ Hongbin replies, briefly watching Wonsik go back to attending to the other customers at the bar.  _ The same room you always get. _

Taekwoon flashes a small smile.  _ It’s appreciated. _ Taekwoon focuses on Wonsik for a brief moment.  _ Do you have any extra food, by the way? _

Hongbin raises an eyebrow.  _ What do you mean? _

_ Raw fish, maybe? Preferably whole. _

_ Probably. _ Hongbin squints.  _ Did you get some kind of pet? _

Taekwoon’s lips part.  _ Not really? _

Hongbin closes his eyes, appearing to sigh.  _ Yeah, I can grab you a couple fish. We’ll make sure your room’s ready too, okay? It shouldn’t be too long. _

Taekwoon smiles.  _ Thank you again, Hongbin. _

_ Yeah, yeah.  _ Hongbin’s smile is playful, the man waving briefly before going into the back room. He comes back after a few minutes, placing a small bag on the table. Taekwoon follows Hongbin’s gaze over to Wonsik, the bartender still in the middle of helping a customer.

_ I’ll be back in a few. _

Hongbin nods.  _ I’ll see you then. _

Taekwoon grabs the bag, nodding in thanks before walking out of the bar again.

When Taekwoon gets back to the dock, Hakyeon is still in the same spot, form still save for the rise and fall of his chest, along with the churning his tail, movements mostly obscured by the dark and murk of the sea water.

“I’m back.” Taekwoon calls out tentatively.

Hakyeon’s head shoots up, glassy gaze eventually landing on the sailor.

“I have some food for you. I’m going to the dock, keep your hands on the boat but move a bit closer to my voice, okay?”

Hakyeon nods, Taekwoon moving a few steps forward and sitting at a spot on the dock just by his boat. The mermaid moves slowly, hands sliding along the wood of the ship.

“Move just a little bit closer if you can.” Taekwoon says. “It’ll make this a bit easier.”

“O-Okay.” Taekwoon can barely see the mermaid’s lips move before he moves a bit more forward. 

Hakyeon ends up a few feet in front of Taekwoon. The sailor places the bag on his lap, grabbing a fish out of the paper bag. Taekwoon cringes at the slime that covers his hand.

“Hold out a hand.”

Hakyeon pauses, letting go of the ship with his left hand and holding it out to Taekwoon. The sailor places the fish in Hakyeon’s hand, seeing the mermaid flinch slightly. 

“It’s fish.” Taekwoon says. “It was probably caught in the morning, so it’s not too old.”

“Thanks.” Hakyeon brings the fish up to his mouth, immediately biting off the head.

“I have a couple more, but take your time eating, okay?”

Hakyeon nods, taking another bite of the fish.

About fifteen minutes pass before Hakyeon finishes off all of the fish, the mermaid bringing up a couple fingers to his mouth before dunking his hand back underwater. Almost immediately after Hakyeon grabs the ship with both hands again.

Taekwoon yawns. “I-I have a room I’m staying at. I’m a couple blocks away though, do you think you’ll be okay alone?”

“Why are you leaving?”

“I have friends who’ve offered a room to me.” Taekwoon replies slowly. There’s space under the dock though, I’m certain you could hide under there for the night. I’ll be back soon.”

Hakyeon mumbles something, lips not moving enough for Taekwoon to tell what he said.

“I can guide you over to the dock.” Taekwoon says. “Give me your hand.”

Hakyeon’s posture stiffens at the phrase. “Is that a good idea?”

“It’ll be fine.” Taekwoon says. “It won’t be for too long, okay?”

Hakyeon nods.

“I’m holding out my hand.” Taekwoon says. “Just follow my voice.”

It takes about a minute for Hakyeon to move close enough that he can grab Taekwoon’s hand. The first contact brings back that sensation from before, lighting feeling as if it’s shooting through his veins, though it’s somewhat muted from before.

“Just move with me.” Taekwoon mumbles, feeling the rumbling in his vocal chords before he tugs lightly on Hakyeon’s hand.

The couple of minutes it takes to get Hakyeon under the dock pass agonizingly slow, the lightning-like sensation pulsing through him, steadily clouding his thoughts. It’s with a great relief that Taekwoon lets go of Hakyeon’s hand, the man shifting his position slightly to look under the dock. It’s almost pitch black, Hakyeon’s face covered in numerous shadows. Taekwoon frowns, sitting back up and grabbing a lantern posted on one of the posts of the dock. He leans back down to look at Hakyeon, the light of the lantern decreasing some of the shadows.

“You’re safe now.” Taekwoon says. “I’ll be back for you in the morning, okay?”

“Thank you.” Hakyeon replies, head nodding in reply.

Taekwoon flashes a smile, immediately remembering that the action would go unnoticed. “Good night for now, though. I’m not sure if mermaids sleep but,”

Hakyeon smiles, chest heaving a few times. Laughter? “We don’t sleep as much but yes, we do sleep.”

“Then yes, try and sleep.”

“I will.” Hakyeon replies. “Good night, Taekwoon.”

“Night, Hakyeon.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hakyeon learns about the hunters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now Hyuken are introduced. No but, I hope y'all enjoy, and as always thank you to [Jaioi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaioi) for betaing !

Hakyeon hates sleeping. When he was younger, he had kin who enjoyed the moments of that comatose state, praising the rejuvenative effects of it, along with the time to disconnect from the reality surrounding them. He hates it, though. See, mermaids seldom dream. Sleep isn’t much beside hours of darkness and silence, save for the churning of the water.

Of course, Hakyeon is no average mermaid, in more ways than one. Almost every night, Hakyeon has dreams. The world of his dreams is blurs of colors, aggressive sounds surrounding him, numerous voices speaking all kinds of things to him. It’s honestly terrifying, his dreams often forcing him awake in the middle of the night, panting, bubbles churning around him as he looks around pitch black water. He had to sleep though; Hakyeon would often wait as long as possible to sleep, eyes finally closing when exhaustion tugged so hard at his being that he couldn’t do anything but sleep.

Tonight’s a bit different, though. His dream is less aggressive; Hakyeon is in the middle of the ocean, the sky above him a blur of white tinted blue. A brown shape appears in front of him, moments later a voice speaking to him, sweet and slow, a man promising that he’d get Hakyeon home. Relief washes over him, warm as the waves of the bay he called home.

Hakyeon’s dream comes to an end when he hears a loud  _ thud _ on the dock. The mermaid’s eyes peel open, posture straightening as he stretches slightly in the water around him. There are slits in the boards of the dock, showing a blurry form to Hakyeon. The man above him has different sounding steps though, more aggressive than the pacing Taekwoon did last night.

Hakyeon squints. It can’t be Taekwoon, can it?

“There’s no one onboard.” The man’s voice sounds far different from Taekwoon’s, deeper and more assured.

“Is there anything left behind?” Another man says, voice higher but still different from Taekwoon’s. “You know how some of the sailors can be around here.”

“I’ll check.” The steps sound closer to the boat, a pause before the boat shifts the water, small waves bouncing against Hakyeon. The mermaid flinches, moving more under the dock, tail brushing against sand as he moves into more shallow water. Hakyeon’s able to hear a faint crinkling before the voice says, “There’s a paper bag. It smells like fish, do you think it’d be bait?”

“No clue.” The other voice says. “We’ll try some of the other docks, there was a report of a mermaid sighting, and considering this area’s history I doubt someone would lie to us.”

There’s a snort before the first man says, “You’re not wrong.” The bag crinkles, hitting against the ship with a scratch Hakyeon barely hears.

Footsteps thud above him, faintly shaking the dock. Hakyeon shrinks into himself, eyes closing as his breath starts to shake. The mermaid only opens his eyes again when the steps are far away from him, Hakyeon staying underneath the dock.

He lets out a shaky breath. Where’s Taekwoon?

~

A few hours pass before Hakyeon hears faint footsteps above him, a gentle and familiar voice calling out, “Hakyeon?”

The mermaid can’t help a sigh of relief. “I’m here.”

“Hakyeon?” The voice calls out, louder than before.

Right. Hakyeon lifts up a hand to the dock above him, dragging it along the weathered wood as he moves out from underneath the dock.

“Turn a bit to your left, I’m right here.” Taekwoon calls out. Hakyeon complies, seeing the blur he associates with Taekwoon.

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Did something happen?”

Hakyeon nods. “There were two men. They kept talking about trying to find a mermaid, I’m guessing it’s me.”

“Oh.”

“W-Who were they?”

Taekwoon sighs. “Hakyeon, how much did you learn about humans?”

“Not much.” Hakyeon replies slowly. “Why?”

“Right.” Taekwoon lets out another breath. “See, you can split humanity into three different kinds of people: those who fear mermaids, those who fall in love and sacrifice their lives for mermaids,” Another pause, longer this time. “And those who hunt them.”

Hakyeon’s mouth falls open. “What?”

“Some people believe it’s good luck to keep a mermaid onboard a ship, so they’ll hire hunters to bring them mermaids.” Taekwoon says. “After all, the only way to really keep a mermaid around that won’t try to kill the crew is to keep their corpse.”

“That’s horrible.”

“Indeed.”

Hakyeon bites his lip. “Would you ever-”

“No.” Taekwoon cuts in. “I think I know what you’re going to say, and no. I would never.”

The mermaid sighs in relief. “I’m glad.”

There’s a pause, Hakyeon’s chest feeling warm, before Taekwoon says, “Anyways. I need to get some supplies but we should head out soon. Do you need me to grab you food?”

Hakyeon shakes his head. “I can go without food for a while.”

“Okay.” Taekwoon replies. “I’ll be back soon, okay? Just stay under the dock for now, I’ll say when I’m back.”

Hakyeon nods, already ducking under the dock. He hears Taekwoon’s footsteps above him, faintly echoing until he’s far enough away that he can no longer hear the sailor. He leans back, head thudding against a post on the dock, tail moving up to idly splash waves in the water.

Another hour passes before Hakyeon hears footsteps above, Taekwoon calling out his name. Hakyeon slowly moves out from under the deck, body rotating to grab the dock with both hands.

“Is everything good?” Hakyeon asks.

“Yeah.” Taekwoon says. “I grabbed some extra food for you too. I know you said you didn’t need it, but still. This might be stressful for you.”

Hakyeon smiles. “You’re too kind.”

“It’s not a big deal.” Taekwoon replies. “But, anyways. I’m going to get on the ship and I’ll guide you over, okay? Just follow my voice.”

Hakyeon nods, hearing Taekwoon’s feet on the dock. There’s another shuffle as Taekwoon hops onboard the ship, water churning faintly.

“I’m on the ship.” Taekwoon says. “Just follow my voice.”

Hakyeon nods, reaching out a hand and slowly moving forward. Eventually, he feels rough wood on his fingertips, the mermaid looking up, seeing the blur of Taekwoon above him.

“Good job.” Taekwoon says. “Grab the edge of the boat, it’s a little above your fingers.”

Hakyeon drags his fingertips along the wood, eventually grabbing hold on the edge.

“Okay, good.” Taekwoon says. “So, I’ve never asked: where is home?”

Hakyeon’s lips part. “It’s, it’s warm waters. It’s a bay, there are always turtles around, I like to run a hand along their shells.”

“Ah.” Taekwoon replies. “I might know where you’re talking about. He pauses. “You’re a long way from home.”

Hakyeon nods. “I was getting food but there was a storm. It came so quick and the waves became too strong for me to swim in. I had to let the current take me wherever it did, and, well,” His voice trails off, croaking faintly.

“I’m so sorry.” Taekwoon says. “I remember there being a storm, I got caught in it for a bit, so I definitely know where to go now.” The man moves away from Hakyeon, too far for Hakyeon to guess what he’s doing.

“We’ll be leaving soon, I just need to get the sails set up.” Taekwoon says. “Get ready for the ship to lurch a little.”

Hakyeon nods. A few minutes pass before, as mentioned, the ship lurches slightly, Hakyeon moving to grab the side of the boat with both hands, grip tight. 

“We’re off.” Taekwoon calls out. “I’ll let you know if anything major comes up.”

Hakyeon nods, letting out a long breath, looking down at the wood in front of him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taekwoon begins the journey back to Hakyeon's home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have a small clarification at the end of the chapter just because of something I insert at the end of the chapter (I'd rather not spoil anything for ya). As always, thank you to [Jaioi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaioi) for betaing, and I hope y'all enjoy! ^^
> 
> Also, I do want to give a small trigger for ableist themes. It's nothing extreme- it pertains to Hakyeon's childhood- but I do still wanna give a warning.

Taekwoon leans back against one side of the boat, eyes focusing on the bright sky above him. He lets out a breath. Hakyeon had remained relatively quiet; he’d asked for the mermaid to knock twice against the side of the ship if he needed something when Taekwoon wasn’t looking, and Hakyeon had yet to do that. He knew that Hakyeon hadn't just left though; every time he glances over to Hakyeon’s he sees the mermaid’s hands gripping tightly at the side of the ship. 

The sailor shifts his position, reaching out to tap the side of the ship. Hakyeon jolts, looking up to Taekwoon.

“You okay?” Taekwoon says.

Hakyeon nods. “Just thinking.”

“About?”

The mermaid shrugs. “Nothing major.”

Taekwoon frowns, letting out a breath. He finds himself staring at the mermaid’s face; he’s honestly beautiful, considering what he is. His eyes are strangely enchanting, Taekwoon feeling as if he could swim in Hakyeon’s glassy irises.

“Have you always been blind?” Taekwoon blurts out the question faster than he can think, hoping that he hadn't slipped over the syllables.

Hakyeon licks his lips before nodding. “I was born blind, yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

Hakyeon shrugs, hoping Taekwoon had seen the movement. “I’m used to it, I can’t miss what I’ve never experienced.”

“I can understand that.” Taekwoon says.

Hakyeon glances away briefly. “You’re deaf, aren’t you?”

Taekwoon nods, promptly supplementing the action with a weak, “Yes.”

“I knew of a few mermaids who were deaf.”

“What happened to them?”

“They were banished.”

Taekwoon’s mouth falls open. “Oh.”

“My kin are not very kind to those who are considered defective.”

A pause. “Were you banished too?”

Hakyeon nods.

“I’m so sorry.”

Hakyeon shrugs. “My mother tried to get me to stay in our clan for as long as possible. But my father was in agreement with our leader, and I was banished.”

“How old were you?”

“In human years?”

“Yes.”

Hakyeon frowns. “About ten?”

“Oh.” Taekwoon replies. “How long has it been?”

“Sixty years?” Hakyeon replies. “For humans. About fifteen for me.”

“That’s so long.”

Hakyeon’s chest heaves, small smile on his face. Another chuckle? “You get used to it pretty quickly.”

“Still, I can’t imagine.”

“Do humans not do the same?” Hakyeon says. “Isn’t it bad to keep those who are deemed defective?”

“No, we don’t.” Taekwoon says. “I’ve met plenty of people who think I’m ‘defective’ but my spending time alone is a decision I’ve made for myself, not something shoved upon me.”

“Why are you alone?”

“I don’t want to be a burden.” Taekwoon says. “Life is hard for me. Even if I can talk it’s hard for me to find a consistent job. Very few people actually know sign language.”

“Sign language?”

“It’s a way to talk without talking.” Taekwoon replies. “You make signs with your hands, so it’s easier to use sign language over speaking if you’re deaf.”

“Ah.” Hakyeon frowns, head looking down. 

Taekwoon notices his lips moving, unable to read them. “What?”

Hakyeon’s head shoots up. “Sorry. I’m just, sad.”

“Why?”

“I can’t do sign language.” Hakyeon says. “I could never see your hands so I could never talk with you that way.”

“That’s fine.” Taekwoon replies. “I’m used to speaking, so even if I can’t hear I have ways to adapt.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Okay.” Hakyeon looks back down at the boat, grip tightening against the wood.

Taekwoon frowns, unsure of what else to do. He lets out a breath, shifting in the boat to lay down, eyes flickering up to the sky, a deeper blue than before.

~

The taps at the side of the boat make Taekwoon sit up, glancing over to Hakyeon.

“Are you okay?” Taekwoon says.

Hakyeon nods. “I just would like a piece of the food you got for me, if that’s okay.”

Taekwoon smiles. “Of course.” He gets up, going over to the bag and grabbing out a piece of jerky. “It’ll taste weird but I couldn’t really get fresh fish that would last the whole journey so,” The thought trails off.

“That’s fine.” Hakyeon reaches out a hand, grip tightening around the strip. He frowns. “What is this?”

“Jerky.” Taekwoon replies. “It’s fish that’s been dried out to be preserved.”

“Ah.” Hakyeon brings the piece of jerky up to his mouth, biting off a chunk. He flashes a cringe. “Salty.”

Taekwoon chuckles. “Salt preserves the jerky.”

“It’s like saltwater.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, no, I’m sorry,” Hakyeon cuts in. “I appreciate this. Thank you.”

Taekwoon smiles. “Of course.”

The pair sit in silence for a while, Taekwoon turning away when he feels his stomach gurgle. He grabs a piece of jerky from his own bag, filled with jerky and a few citrus. Taekwoon idly chews on his own piece, eyes flickering to the horizon. The oranges, yellows, and reds of the sunset are beginning to fade, the bluish-black of night overtaking the sky. Taekwoon gets up when he finishes the jerky, lighting the lantern and placing it near the bow of the ship. He looks back to Hakyeon.

“I’m taking in the sails so the boat shouldn’t go quite as fast.” Taekwoon says. “I’m about to sleep, but tap on the side of the boat if you need me, okay?”

Hakyeon nods, lips slowly parting before he says, “Okay.”

Taekwoon frowns. “Is something wrong?”

Hakyeon bites at his lip, quickly shaking his head.

“Do you think it’s going to storm?”

Hakyeon nods hesitantly.

Taekwoon lets out a breath, moving to kneel down close to Hakyeon. “There weren’t any clouds earlier today, and I don’t see anything right now.” He tentatively reaches out a hand to Hakyeon, landing it just beside Hakyeon’s left hand. “As soon as you feel any drops just let me know, okay? We’ll get through this.”

Hakyeon moves up slightly, their faces a couple inches apart from each other. The mermaid’s mouth falls open slightly, glassy gaze focused the hardest Taekwoon had ever seen.

“You’re so pretty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm guessing that I might not actually need to clarify this but I am at the mercy of my anxiety so?? But yeah, as someone who both has extremely bad vision and who has friends that are legally blind I do wanna make sure y'all know that, since I've written Hakyeon as legally blind, it is possible to see more detail at closer distances (even for me, without glasses I need something about 6in in front of me to actually see it clearly). Once again, probably not a necessary note to have but I wanted to include it anyways. ^^; And as a reminder, if you have any feedback on how I'm writing Taekwoon and Hakyeon's visual/hearing impairments pls give me anything you got, seeing as how I'm not officially impaired in either regard.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taekwoon never expected to be considered pretty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello I swear I haven't abandoned this idea it's a precious story to me. No but, a small thing I do wanna clarify is that my beta has been hella busy with school so the updates I post for any of my fics may not always be betaed, so I rlly hope that doesn't affect the story too much. ^^; Anyways, hope you enjoy!

For as long as Hakyeon could remember, he’d never come remotely close to seeing someone. The world is blurs to him; messes of colors, indistinct outlines of shapes. His kin, the few humans he ran into, the creatures of the sea were all best characterized by their voices, the sounds they would make. 

His mother had a warm, calming voice; especially as a young child, she would sing Hakyeon to sleep, delicate murmurs that would easily lure Hakyeon into the world of slumber. Hakyeon’s father had a voice completely different from that of his mother: a deep monotone, seldom portraying any level of emotion. Even on the day of his banishment Hakyeon’s father gave the news with no emotion, calm in comparison to his mother’s voice, the normally warm voice devoid of anything, every other word cracking in her throat. The gurgling of fish moving through the sea had easily become a calming force for Hakyeon after his banishment. Something about the rhythmic movement of fish around him reminded Hakyeon that the world would continue on regardless of what happened, and that he should act the same. Every faint gurgle or chirp when he would run his hand along the shell of a turtle brought Hakyeon pleasure, an amusement that he couldn’t explain.

Out of every human Hakyeon had met in his 100 years of living, Taekwoon had the best voice. There was something Hakyeon couldn’t help loving about Taekwoon’s voice; so delicate, every word carefully thought out before being spoken into the atmosphere. Hakyeon wanted with all of his being to hear that voice as often as he could, wanted to ask as many questions as possible to hear answers so well thought out, but he couldn’t help worrying about whether or not it hurt Taekwoon to speak. So instead, Hakyeon kept his questions minimal, suppressed his curiosity and desires in the hopes of making Taekwoon comfortable.

“I’m taking in the sails so the boat shouldn’t go quite as fast.” Taekwoon says. Hakyeon blinks, gaze flickering away from the spot of the boat he’d been staring at. “I’m about to sleep, but tap on the side of the boat if you need me, okay?”

Hakyeon glances up to the sky, a dark, indistinct blob. Hesitantly he replies, “Okay.”

“Is something wrong?”

Hakyeon bites at his lip, quickly shaking his head. It had to be a stupid worry; there’s no way it would storm again so quickly, would it? But, what if it did, what if the storm was aggressive enough to tear-

“Do you think it’s going to storm?”

Hakyeon nods hesitantly, letting out a breath. There’s a sigh before Hakyeon sees Taekwoon move forward, lines beginning to look somewhat crisp under the light of the lantern.

“There weren’t any clouds earlier today, and I don’t see anything right now.” There’s warmth near Hakyeon’s left hand, making the mermaid look down towards it. “As soon as you feel any drops just let me know, okay? We’ll get through this.”

Something pulls Hakyeon forward, a force undefined by the mermaid. His eyes widen.

Taekwoon’s there. He’s real. His features are more defined than before; the outline of two eyes, a small bump of a nose, lips a brighter pink than any coral Hakyeon had ever seen. This is the closest Hakyeon has come to actually seeing someone’s face and there’s so many thoughts that rush through his mind at that moment but all he can say is-

“You’re so pretty.”

Taekwoon’s features become a blur in no time, the sailor immediately backing away from Hakyeon. He can hear Taekwoon faintly panting, a pause before he replies.

“Y-You can see me?”

“Well, no it’s,” Hakyeon bites his lip. “I can’t  _ see _ you. Not like you can see me. I just, can see more than before.”

“What?”

“People are blurs to me.” Hakyeon replies. “Well, everything’s a blur to me. But up close like that I could actually kind of see your face. You weren’t just a tan blob speaking to me, you had lips and eyes and a nose.”

“Oh.” Taekwoon replies weakly. “How does that make me pretty?”

“How couldn’t it?” Hakyeon replies. “The first face I truly see and I really liked what I saw, doesn’t that make someone pretty?”

Taekwoon remains silent, Hakyeon licking at his lips as his gaze moves back to the side of the ship.

“I’m going to sleep now.” Taekwoon says. Hakyeon feels something stab at his heart. “Just knock on the ship if you need anything from me.”

Hakyeon nods, replying with a faint “okay”.

There’s shifting on the boat as Taekwoon goes back to adjust the sails, the sailor dipping beneath the boat when he lays down. Hakyeon lets out a long sigh, looking up to the lantern, a yellow-orange blob whose shape would always alter slightly. 

He’s not sleeping tonight, is he.

~

The sounds of Taekwoon stirring bring Hakyeon out of his daze, a state induced by the repetitive motions of the ocean around him, an almost uniform expanse of water surrounding him. He looks up, leaning against the ship to watch the blur of Taekwoon slowly sit up, moving slightly.

“Good morning.” Hakyeon mumbles.

A gasp. “Oh, Hakyeon.” Taekwoon’s voice is rough, reminiscent of how his friends of before would sound when they were pulled out of excessively long naps. It’s cute. “Good morning.”

“How did you sleep?”

“It was okay.” Taekwoon pauses, messing with what sounded like a paper bag. There’s a faint ripping sound, a sour smell tinging the sea air.

Hakyeon frowns. “What is that?”

“Orange.” Taekwoon replies. “Right. I’m guessing you wouldn’t know what that is.”

Hakyeon slowly shakes his head.

“Can mermaids eat plants? Or is it just, well,” The thought trails off.

Hakyeon chuckles. “Yes, mermaids can eat plants.”

“Do you want to try some of it then?”

“Sure?” Hakyeon nods hesitantly.

“Okay.” Taekwoon’s voice is tinged with enthusiasm, a pause before he says, “It’ll feel kind of funny.”

Hakyeon holds out a hand, feeling something slimy and soft get placed there. He frowns.

“It feels like a sea sponge.” Hakyeon grasps the piece of orange, sniffing at it before cringing. “Sour.”

Taekwoon chuckles. “Yeah, but it’s supposed to help prevent sickness.”

“Ah.” Hakyeon hesitantly parts his lips, placing the whole piece of orange in his mouth. The first bite squishes in his mouth, sour juice squirting out and coating his tongue. He cringes again, pushing back revulsion long enough to chew and swallow down the orange.

“I’m guessing you didn’t like it?”

Hakyeon slowly shakes his head. “It’s... interesting.”

Taekwoon giggles, a delicate sound even better than his speaking voice. “I won’t give you any more, then. I’m sure it’s weird for you.”

“I, I appreciate you giving me some, though.” Hakyeon says. “Even if I didn’t like it.”

“I’m glad.”

The pair sit in silence for a while, Taekwoon finishing off the orange and grabbing jerky out of the bag, a slightly different tang from the seawater. 

“So, you’ve never really seen someone’s face?”

Hakyeon starts. “What?”

“Besides my own. You’ve never seen someone’s face?”

“Not really.”

“Not even your parents?”

Hakyeon shook his head. “I always think I knew my mom’s face, but every time I try to picture what I saw nothing ever comes up.”

“Oh.” Taekwoon says. “I’m still not sure if I was the best first face to see.”

“Of course you are!” Hakyeon’s tone is more aggressive than expected, the mermaid blinking a few times before realizing that the change may not be noticed much by Taekwoon. “I haven’t met many people, but you are without a doubt the nicest person I know. The only person I can say with certainty was as nice as you was my mother. None of my kin ever acted so nice, and they knew me for far longer than you have known me. And that itself is enough for me to call you pretty.”

A pause. “You know, for being the first mermaid I’ve ever seen, you’re not too bad either.”

Hakyeon’s mouth falls open. “I’m the first mermaid you’ve seen?”

“Yes.”

“I thought you were a sailor, though.” Hakyeon says. “Wouldn’t you have seen one at some point?”

“You would have a better idea of how mermaids work.” Taekwoon replies. “But no, I try to avoid areas known for having lots of mermaids. It’s not safe to be in mermaid infes- er, areas with a lot of mermaids if you’re by yourself. More likely to get lured into the sea.”

“Ah.” Hakyeon murmurs. “The mermaids in my clan were all taught not to go to the surface unless we had to. We knew about humans, but the chief always warned that the souls of humans were like drugs: once someone had one, they had to have more. Multiple times we were told about mermaids who had gone mad because they couldn’t get enough souls to appease their hunger.”

“Oh.” Taekwoon replies. “So the mermaids that go after humans are...?”

“Exiles.” Hakyeon mumbles. “Or, at least they’re exiled once the chief learned of them consuming a human soul.”

“Are there other tribes?” The last word of the question seems to be tacked on hesitantly.

Hakyeon nods. “We seldom interact, though, so I have no clue what the boundaries are for each of us.”

“Ah.” Taekwoon says. There’s rustling on the ship before Taekwoon speaks again. “We’re making good time. If your home really is what I’m thinking of, we should be over there by in just a couple of days.”

Hakyeon feels warmth in his chest. “Home.”

“Yeah.” A sigh, almost too faint for Hakyeon to catch.

“Are you okay, Taekwoon?”

“Yes.” The word sounds stilted, Hakyeon squinting his eyes. “Or, just.” Another pause. “I’m not sure what I’ll do once I’ve brought you home.”

“Are you leaving once I’m home?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I’m a sailor.” Taekwoon says. “It’s what I do. Wander the world, avoid staying in one place for more than a week at a time.”

“I’ll never see you again?”

Taekwoon chuckles, Hakyeon quirking an eyebrow. “Sorry. But, in all honesty? I’m not too sure. Besides the bay, there aren’t too many businesses near that area so...”

“You don’t have much reason to be there.”

“Right.” Taekwoon replies.

“I-I’m going to miss you.”

A pause. Hakyeon hears shuffling before Taekwoon moves forward, leaning against his side of the ship, features once again coming into focus enough for Hakyeon to start to see the lovely details of each one.

“I’m going to miss you too.”

Something pulls Hakyeon forward closer to Taekwoon, stopping a bit closer to Taekwoon’s face, features beginning to gain more definition. His eyes flicker down to Taekwoon’s lips, Hakyeon lifting his right hand up to Taekwoon’s cheek, index finger dragging down the side of his face. Taekwoon remains stock still, staring straight at Hakyeon’s eyes, lips starting to part-

Taekwoon backs away immediately, features once again thrust back into obscurity. Hakyeon blinks, feeling threads of a daze falling away from him.

“Wh-What was that?”

“I’m sorry, I just,” Hakyeon starts. “It felt right.”

“Right.” Taekwoon says. “That sounds, okay. Um,” A pause. “I think I’m going to eat a bit, do you want anything?”

Hakyeon shakes his head.

“Alright.” Taekwoon replies. “Knock if you need anything.”

Hakyeon nods, biting at his lip.

“Taekwoon, I’m, I’m sorry.”

No reply. Hakyeon frowns. He must not be facing Hakyeon then. The mermaid leans forward, resting his forehead on the edge of the ship with the faintest  _ thud _ .


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hakyeon sings for Taekwoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I know it's been a while, school got chaotic for me & I haven't been feeling great mentally so it take way longer than it should have to write this. I know it's short, I'm hoping the final chapters for this are substantially longer but we shall see. ^^;

Taekwoon is laying against the bow of the ship, eyes trained on the darkened sky above him, gathering gray clouds gaining faint shapes under the light of his orange lantern. The sailor drags a hand along his cheek, the phantom sensation of Hakyeon’s clammy fingers still on his skin. 

Taekwoon sighs. He knows what happened. He didn’t exactly want to admit it, but he had an idea of what had happened. And, frankly, Taekwoon couldn’t help being surprised that it hadn't happened sooner; after all, there’s a reason Hakyeon had been so strongly warned against being around humans, right?

But, it didn’t quite feel like the stories he’d been told. In those tales, the mermaids were portrayed as vicious creatures, using seductive wiles to drag helpless sailors into the murky depths of the sea. Hakyeon’s nothing like that; there is no ferocity or deceit behind his actions, his emotions portrayed genuinely within glassy-eyed expressions. If anything, Hakyeon genuinely cares for Taekwoon, maybe even l-

No. The thought is cut off before it has any chance to be fully conceived. Even if there is some understanding of families and tribes, mermaids aren’t human. They can’t feel the same things that humans experience. Their concept of love is something Taekwoon can hardly understand, best illustrated with how Taekwoon couldn’t comprehend how easily Hakyeon had been exiled by his tribe. 

Taekwoon glances to the side of his boat, sitting up slightly to take a better look at Hakyeon. The mermaid hasn’t knocked at all in the past couple of hours, eyes fixated on the wooden grain of the boat, lips pressed into a thin line as he stares, unblinking. Taekwoon sighs. He doesn’t need to do this.

Taekwoon moves closer to Hakyeon’s side of the boat, sitting on the floor of the ship just in front of Hakyeon. The mermaid glances up, hands tightening on the side of the ship, lips parting slightly.

“T-Taekwoon.”

“Yeah. Uh, sorry for the closeness but it’s hard for me to read lips when I’m tired so I just,” Taekwoon glances away briefly. “I want to apologize about earlier.”

“Why?”

“Well, you’re scared out here, right? All by yourself, unable to see things unless they’re right in front of you, and since most things- people- are seldom close enough, life is a blur, yes?”

Hakyeon nods slowly.

“I shouldn’t have been so harsh earlier. The situation was just you acting on instinct, you couldn’t help what happened. As prey I shouldn’t have been so tempting in front of my predator-”

“It’s not like that!” Hakyeon cuts in, Taekwoon feeling the vibrations of Hakyeon’s voice against his ears. “I wasn’t acting on instinct then.”

“What were you acting on, then?”

Hakyeon looks away, lips pursing. His grip on the side of the boat loosens, hands moving to slide down the side of the boat as Hakyeon dips underwater.

“Hakyeon!” Taekwoon moves forward, reaching over the boat and grabbing Hakyeon’s wrist just before the mermaid dips completely beneath the water. The man flinches, lightning sensation shooting up his arm. He breathes out slowly, brain working quick to find the words he needs to say. “Don’t leave. Please.”

Hakyeon looks to the boat, placing his free hand on the edge of the boat. Taekwoon lets out a sigh, letting go of Hakyeon’s wrist so he can put his other hand on the boat. 

“Do you really want to know what I was acting on?” Hakyeon asks after a moment of silence.

“Do you want me to know?”

Hakyeon’s gaze becomes unfocused, reminiscent of when the pair first met. “I-” The mermaid’s lips purse.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me.” Taekwoon feels thoughts crop up in his mind, the man pushing them away as quickly as he can. He glances out to the sea in front of them, checking the direction they are going with a compass sat nearby, squinting in the light of the lantern. Taekwoon moves back to Hakyeon. “I’m about to head to sleep, you still want the lantern on?”

“Yes, please.”

“Alright.” Taekwoon turns away from Hakyeon stepping towards the middle of the boat-

_ Knock knock. _

Taekwoon turns back to Hakyeon, raising an eyebrow before heading over to the side of the boat.

“Yes?”

“You can’t hear, correct?”

Taekwoon squints, replying slowly. “Right.”

“So you can’t hear singing at all?”

“Yeah, I can’t.” Taekwoon replies. “Why?”

“I-” Hakyeon drags his lower lip along his teeth. “I used to sing a lot when I was back home. My mother would always tell me about how I had one of the nicest voices she’d ever heard. After my banishment, I didn’t sing quite as much anymore, but when I’m stressed it’s comforting for me to sing.”

“Are you stressed?”

“Yes.”

“Would you feel less stressed if you could sing?”

A pause, Hakyeon looking away for a moment. Taekwoon sees Hakyeon’s lips move, but not enough to understand the response.

“What?” Taekwoon asks.

Hakyeon looks back to Taekwoon, quickly nodding his head. “Yes, please.”

Taekwoon shifts to sit cross-legged on the bottom of the boat, resting his chin on his hands, placing his face close enough that he could still read Hakyeon’s lips easily. “Go ahead.”

Hakyeon’s grip on the boat tightens, the mermaid closing his eyes and appearing to let out a long sigh. And then, Hakyeon began to sing.

In little time, Taekwoon is able to see how singing helps Hakyeon: the mermaid’s grip on the boat loosens, the overall composure of Hakyeon calming as he progresses through his song. Hakyeon’s lips are moving too much for Taekwoon to be able to read easily, the man soon giving up. Faintly, he can feel the vibrations from Hakyeon’s voice, movement hinting at a progression of notes. Despite the inability to hear Hakyeon, Taekwoon can understand what it is that draws sailors to mermaids, the vibrations drawing Taekwoon in closer-

Taekwoon reaches out a hand, resting it on Hakyeon’s neck, the vibrations coming to an abrupt stop. The sailor looks down to his hand, biting at his lower lip.

“Sorry, it, it’s hard to read your lips.” Taekwoon says. “I wanted to feel the vibrations better. Does this make you uncomfortable?”

Hakyeon’s lips remain parted. “It’s fine.” The mermaid’s hesitant voice resonates against Taekwoon’s fingertips, sending lightning-like sensations up his hand.

“I’m glad.” Taekwoon replies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so, I did as much research as I could about how music is perceived for deaf people, & p much all I saw was how things like vibrations are most easily picked up (at least for frequencies outside an individual's hearing range). Since technology rlly isn't a thing that could be used here, the thing that made most sense personally to highlight was the throat, since the vocal chords produce vibrations as well as sound. If that comes off as insensitive though I do want to apologize, though.

**Author's Note:**

> So like?? I imagine this is an unnecessary clarification to make but I still wanna make it anyways. Hakyeon is legally blind (20/200 vision), so while he can distinguish colors there aren't definite shapes to anything (a very basic example can be found [here](https://www.buzzfeed.com/hikaruyoza/20-200-vs-20-20?utm_term=.nt5ZWqdJnY#.clrmqy8ZrW)). Taekwoon, while he is hearing impaired, can read lips and talk. Sign language does exist in this universe (it'll be seen in later chapters !).
> 
> Also I won't advertise it too much with this fic but I do wanna remind y'all that I have a [Ko-fi account](https://ko-fi.com/A467DJM); even if you can't donate spreading the link rlly does help me out a lot. I hope y'all enjoy this fic, and if you feel like there's anything wonky with how I'm writing this feel free to let me know! ^^


End file.
